Steam-engine.



P. GERLI.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1912.

Patnted Sept. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I p N 31% 2 M gm ORIVEYS WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D- C.

P. GERLI. STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1912.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Ml N: r m\ J Lg "t1: 0 1 U Q) L r'\ 9) gI/ENTOR WITNESSES PAUL GERLI, or nEw YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-ENGINE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Application filed January 20, 1912. Serial No. 672,329.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, PAUL GERLI, a c1t1- zen of the United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Engines, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates particularly to steam locomotives of the class used on railways and for similar purposes, and the object thereof is to provide a locomotive of this class with means for returning the unconsumed products of combustion including cinders and the like to the fire box of the engine, a further object being to provide means for superheating the boiler of the engine, a still further object being to prevent the sparking of the locomotive or engine, or the discharge of sparks therefrom when in operation, the said invention also including the mingling of exhaust steam with the products of combustion which are returned to the fire box; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in a locomotive boiler engine or similar apparatus constructed and operating as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which-- Figure l is a partial side view of a locomotive engine provided with my improvement, part of the construction being broken away and part shown in section. Fig. 2 a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification, and Fig. 3 a partial section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing, I have shown a locomotive a comprising a boiler 79, the usual cab 0 and the usual fire box 0?, and the boiler 72 is entirely inclosed, in the pr'actice of my invention, by a casing 0 between whichand the boiler is a non-divided annular chamber 0 and the front end of theboiler is extended to form a vacuum or exhaust chamber 11. Within the chamber d is an exhaust flue e the bottom part of which is open and directly over the exhaust f of the engine, and said flue extends through the top wall of the chamber 03 and is curved backwardly to form a loop 6 which communicates with the annular chamber 0 at 0 and the loop 6 of the flue e is provided at the top with a discharge outlet o which may, if desired, be closed by a door e and in the front of the discharge outlet a the loop 6 of the flue e is provided with downwardly and backwardly directed screen 6 in front of which the bottom portion of the front part of the loop 6 is curved downwardly to form a downwardly directed pocket 6 with the opposite sides and bottom of which are connected pipes f which extend outwardly, downwardly and forwardly around the opposite sides of the boiler or the casing 0 thereof and are connected beneath the boiler with a horizontal pipe 9 at the front end of which is a funnel-shaped connection at g with the bottom of the chamber 03 and the inlet to which is controlled by a valve, door or damper device 9 inthe construction shown. The front end portion of the annular chamber 0 and beneath the boiler is placed in connection with the exhaust of the engine by means of a pipe h, and a supplemental pipe k connects pipe h with the pipe 9, and the rear end of the pipe 9 is provided with laterally and bac-kwardly directed branch pipes 9 which are connected with the opposite sides of the fire box (Z above the grate therein, and which are provided with air inlets 9 On the rear end portion of the boiler, the annular chamber 0 is provided with a discharge flue 2', and said chamber extends back to the rear wall y of the fire box and down over the fire box to the line 3 but as will be readily understood my invention is not limited to the construction of the chamber a and the rear end portion of saidchamber may be formed in any desired manner.

With the foregoing construction the products of combustion pass forwardly through the tubes of the boiler in the usual manner and are discharged into the chamber d, and the discharge of the exhaust of the engine creates a suctional discharge through the flue e as will be readily understood, and in the usual manner. In this operation all the cinders or other unconsumed products of combustion are arrested in their passage through the flue by the screen 6", and pass downwardly through the pipes f into the pipe 9, and backwardly through said plpe g and through the branches 9* thereof and are discharged into the fire-box at the opposite sides thereof and above the grate therein, and in this operation air is also admitted into the branch pipes g and discharged into the fire-box. The passage of the unconsuined products of combustion through the pipes f 9 and g* into the fire-box is aided or compelled by the exhaust from the engine through the supplemental pipe 72. as will be readily understood and it will also be understood that the hot gases of combustion passing through the boiler from the fire box enter the chamber (Z under pressure, and this also facilitates the backward movement of the hot gases of combustion, and the unconsumed products of combustion through the pipe 9 and into the fire-box. During the above operation the hot gases of combustion enter the annular chamber 0 at e and part of the exhaust enters said chamber through the pipe h, and the hot gases of combustion and exhaust steam pass backwardly through the annular chamber 0 and fully envelop the boiler and are discharged through the flue 2' andthis operation, as will be understood, heats or superheats the boiler and by means of my improvement the heat from the fuel in the fire-box is utilized to the highest possible degree, and the passage of the unconsumed products of combustion and the exhaust from the engine to the fire box adds fuel thereto and increases the heat therein, the combination of said unconsumed products of combustion and the exhaust fronrthe engine forming a combustible substance capable of producing a high degree of heat; and the use of the screen 6 prevents, as will .be understood, the escape of sparks or other partially consumed material from the flue and the danger of fires resulting from this operation is consequently avoided or obviated. WVhen theengine is in full operation the door 6 of the out-let 6* of the flue 6 maybe closed if desired, but in the starting of the engine it will be better to leave this outlet open.

The construction shown in Fig. 2 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1 except that the boiler inclosing casing c by which the annular chamber a is formed is omitted, together with the flue 2', at the rear end of the boiler, and that part of the flue e which communicates with the said annular chamher, and the operation with this form of construction will be the same 'as with that shown in Fig. 1, except as to the superheating of the boiler which, of course, is not included in'the construction shown-in Fig. 2; and'the construction shown in Fig. 2 may, as will be understood, be quickly and easily applied to locomotives, locomotive engines, and other apparatus of this class without materially changing the construction thereof, and at a minimum of expense.

My invention is not limited't'o 'the application thereof as herein shown and described, and the same may be applied to boiler furnaces of any kind or class provided with an escape flue having a curved or laterally directed top terminal portion with which the pipes f may be connected; and changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be .made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages. My invention is also not limited to the use of exhaust steam for forcing a circulation through the pipe g'nor to the connection of said pipe with the chamber (5 for this purpose, and live steam may be introduced into said pipe 9 by means of a supplemental pipe which may be connected with the engine or boiler in any way, or with any suitable source of steam, or any other suitable means may be employed in creating a suction or forced movement through said pipe 9, and through the pipes f and the branch pipes g into the fire box.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is .1. A boiler provided at one end with a fire box and at the opposite end with a vacuum chamber adapted to receive the products of combustion as they pass through said boiler from the fire box, said chamber being provided with a flue which extends through the top thereof and the bottom of which is open and the top of which is provided with a curved extension having a transverse screen, a pipe placed beneath the boiler and the rear end portion of which is in communication with the opposite sides of the fire box and the front end portion of which is in communication with the exhaust of the engine and with the bottom of said vacuum chamber, and pipes connected with the bottom portion of the curved extension of the flue and below the screen therein and in communication with thepipe placed beneath the boiler.

2. A locomotive engine comprising the usual cab, boiler and fire box; said boiler being provided at the front end thereof with a vacuum chamber into which products of combustion which pass through the boiler combustion which pass through the boiler from the fire box are discharged and said boiler being also provided with an annular casing forming an undivided annular chamher which incloses the boiler except at the ends thereof and which is provided at its rear end with an escape flue, said vacuum chamber being also provided with a flue which extends through the top thereof and which is provided with a loop-shaped extension in communication with said annular chamber and at the top of which is an outletsaid loop-shaped extension of said flue being also provided between said outlet and said vacuum chamber with a transverse screen, a pipe placed beneath the boiler and the rear end portion of which is in communication with the fire box and the front end portion of which is in communication with the exhaust of the engine and with the bottom of the vacuum chamber, the exhaust of the engine being also in communication with the annular chamber inclosing the boiler, and pipes connected with the bottom of the loop-shaped extension of the flue inwardly of the screen therein and in comiuunication with the pipe placed beneath the )OllGI.

3. A boiler provided at one end with a fire box and at the opposite end with a vacuum chamber adapted to receive the products of combustion as they pass through said boiler from the fire box, said chamber being provided with a flue which extends through the top thereof and the bottom of which is open and over the exhaust of the engine and the top of which is provided with a curved extension having a transverse screen, a pipe placed beneath the boiler and the rear end portion of which is in communication with the fire box and the front end portion of which is in communication with the bottom of the vacuum chamber, and pipes connected with the curved extension of the flue inwardly of the screen therein and in communication with the pipe placed beneath the boiler.

4:. A locomotive engine comprising the usual boiler, cab and fire box; said boiler being provided at the front end thereof with a vacuum chamber into which the products of combustion which pass through the boiler from the fire box are discharged, said boiler being provided with an annular casing forming an undivided annular chamber which incloses the boiler except at the ends thereof and which is provided at its rear end with an escape flue, said vacuum chamber being also provided with a flue which extends through the top thereof and which is provided with a curved extension in com- 'munication with said annular chamber and at the top of which is an outlet, said extension of the flue being also provided between said out-let and the vacuum chamber with a transverse screen, a pipe placed beneath the boiler and the rear end port-ion of which is in communication with the fire box and the front end portion of which is in communication with the bottom of the vacuum chamber and pipes connected with the bottom of the curved extension of the flue inwardly of said screen and in communication with the pipe placed beneath the boiler.

5. A locomotive engine comprising the usual boiler, cab and fire box; said boiler being provided at the front end thereof with a vacuum chamber into which the products of combustion which pass through the boiler from the fire box are discharged, said boiler being provided wit-h an annular casing forming an undivided annular chamber which incloses the boiler except at the ends thereof and which is provided at its rear end with an escape flue, said vacuum chamber being also provided with a flue which extends through the top thereof and which is provided with a curved extension in communi cation with said annular chamber and at the top of which is an outlet, said extension of said flue being provided between said outlet and the vacuum chamber with a transverse screen, a pipe placed beneath the boiler and the rear end portion of which is in communication with the fire box and the front end portion of which is in communication with the bottom of the vacuum chamber and with said annular chamber and pipes con nected with the bottom of the curved extension of the flue inwardly of the screen therein and in communication with the pipe placed beneath the boiler.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 18th day of January 1912.

, PAUL GERLI.

Witnesses G. E. MULBEANY, S. ANDREWS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

